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A site dedicated to discussing a variety of action & martial arts film entertainment. The written and expressive work of the author(s) of Film Combat Syndicate is/are protected by Copyright Law. To send us scoops or share your inquiries, email us at filmcombatsyndicate@gmail.com.

Arriving on March 28, 2014 in Indonesia and North America courtesy of Sony Pictures and Stage 6 Films is writer and director Gareth Evans's latest installment to his epic martial arts action crime saga, The Raid 2: Berandal. Building on the film's four year premise, the film kicks off two hours after the events of the first film, The Raid (2011), with actor Iko Uwais returning to lead the cast among a list of new players added to the perils of one cop's life-or-death undercover mission to infiltrate a Jakarta crime syndicate and flush out the corruption of his police force in exchange for his family's safety. The film will be kicking off the new year at the Sundance Film Festival for four nights, before it goes stateside. So stay tuned for further trailer news as things are just getting started. A production of Merantau Films and XYZ Films, The Raid 2: Berandal also stars Tio Pakusadewo, Putra Arifin Scheunamann, Julie Estelle, Alex Abbad and Roy Marten, with returnin…

French independent filmmaker, producer and actor Godefroy Ryckewaert took to his YouTube channel on Monday to unveil his latest martial action short film, Mauvais Choix(Bad Choice). Featurng Ryckewaert along with performers Franck Blanc, Jonathan Bernard and Alexandre Moreira, the new shortfilm centers around two friends who are confronted by a loneshark sent to warn them about their due payment. As always, talk comes first. And of course, it ends up in a huge, heavy-hitting two-on-one brawl where someone loses.

A year now in making his own shortfilms, Mauvais Choix is Ryckewaert's first experimental endeavor into incorporating conversational dialogue with action choreography-one among a small list of firsts in some aspects for this small cast and crew stuntmen and actor. Thankfully, the result does justice for anyone watching, and promises to be a taste of some truly awesome things to come between now and the new year when Ryckewaert moves his base of operations to Los Angeles.

Straight from the creative mind of independent filmmaker Jose Montesinos, the man behind the latest martial arts action hit of the summer, Barrio Brawler, comes his latest interpretive avant-garde shortfilm, La Cuchara. Here, Montesinos himself incorporates his own love for action with a deep, unique and heartfelt appreciate of the classics in this illustrious cinematic interpretation that blends dark and light themes, and takes viewers on a path that delivers such a profound, twisted and internal sense of completion and fruition almost unlike anything previously seen on film, that even the most scholarly of minds will be blown. La Cuchara is not just another installation of indepedent film. This is an education. Check it out below and be amazed! *wink*

We may have The Raid 2: Berandal making its simultaneous release in Indonesia and North America this March. But Indonesia's world of filmmaking proves itself to be fresh and bustling with other new action titles headed to local domestic theaters with further notoriety to come, such as the latest production from My Dream Pictures and BIC Productions titled Pukulan Maut.

Directed by Nayato Fio Nuala from a script by Alexander Harry, the latest martial arts action crime gem centers around the intersecting troubled lives of three friends who escape a psychiatric facility only to discover a body and a suitcase full of cash, and a gang of killers led by its owner likely in search of it. The cast is headlined by Maxime Boutier, Kaemita, Monique Henry, Krisna M. Wibowo and Munajat Raditya, with action star Sunny Pang and actor Ray Sahetapy - the latter who you might recognize as the main antagonist in the 2011 blockbuster, The Raid.

If you're wondering at all if any love has been lost in recent years for Square Enix's beloved dynamic action heroine Lara Croft, then you are purely mistaken. We've recently seen UK filmmaker Andrew Dobell's vision with Tomb Raider: No Angel earlier this year, as well as Trevor Addie's successful gritty origin-themed Summer 2013 short film festival favorite, Croft. And now it seems we have some more Lara-action to aspire for with French independent filmmaker Aurelien Sallè's latest crowdfunding efforts for his own rendition in Tomb Raider: Reborn.

Five years in the making, Sallè has full backing with the help of Oniryk Productions and needs more funds to help bring his own cinematic interpretation of the iconic video game character to a live action format, led with performances by actress Tiphaine Vaudable, and actors Nicolas Van Beveren and Christophe Hourquet. And for all you Lara fans with some extra Euros stashed away somewhere, Sallè has a wonderful and…

A new slate of posters and a trailer have gone viral this month for Wellmade STARM's upcoming Joseon Period fantasy femme fatale action comedy, The Huntresses. Following a production that lasted from August to December of 2012, the film was originally promised a theatrical South Korean release earlier this summer with teasers, stills and trailers aired online, and a slew of colorful character posters promoting the film before post-production issues interfered. Fortunately the film now has a Korean theatrical release set for this January, in addition to some new promotional poster art to get things rolling, which you can check out below.

SYNOPSIS:As a child, Jin-ok witnessed the murder of her father and narrowly escaped death. She is taken under the wing of Mu-myeong, the man who saved her life, and trains in martial arts alongside two other girls. 10 years pass a…

International action star Donnie Yen, unveiled the latest behind the scenes featurette for the upcoming domestic January 31, 2014 release of director Terence Cheung's The Monkey King: The Legend Begins, which you can now view below along with the first right above from a little over a week ago. The film is the latest cinemtic 3D rendition of the classic mythological character written by Edmond Wong and the late Szeto Kam-Yuen, and featuring Yen in the lead of what is expected to be the first of a trilogy. The Monkey King: The Legend Begins also stars Chow Yun-Fat, Xia Zi Tong, Aaron Kwok, Joe Chan, Zilin Zhang, Peter Ho, Gigi Leung and Kelly Chen. You can find more information about the film at its newly launched official website.
In other news, Yen is also tapped to get some big screen North American treatment with Well Go USA's forthcoming February 4, 2014 ultra VOD premiere of the Hong Kong action thriller, Special ID from director Clarence Fok, followed by a theatrical re…

Writer and director Christian Sesma unveiled the latest character photo featuring actor Paul Sloan from the upcoming action thriller, The Nightcrew from Premiere Entertainment and Seskri Productions. Sloan joins a cast that also includes Luke Goss, Bokeem Woodbine, Chasty Ballesteros, Jason Mewes, Derek Mears, Roberto Sanchez, JacqueliIne Lord and Danny Trejo in a story about a rag tag team of bounty hunters who become the target of a savage Mexican cartel after chasing a mysterious female across the border, only to discover she is way more than she appears to be.

The film is currently in post production after wrapping several days ago while Sesma has officially announed the start of preparation for his early 2014 filming schedule for his next film, AWOL 72. No premiere date has been announced yet for The Nightcrew, although a trailer could be aired online this February followed by a possible Fall 2014 release, so stay tuned for more info and more photos and hopeful footage to come s…

Following Bona Film Group's RMB $1B film fund launch reported in August, Kevin Ma over at FilmBiz.Asia shared some updates on a two-part list of scripts newly approved by China's state censorship board, SAPPRFT, including Lo-Chi Leung's The Killer Vanishes, and Derek Yee's long-awaited production of Third Master's Sword; The latter film is based on the writings of late Hong Kong author Gu Long whose work inspired Yee's lead actor credit in director Chor Yuen's 1977 Shaw Brothers film Death Duel which starred then-actor Yee in a story centered around a swordsman whose past catches up to him after faking his own death to escape the underworld.
The film has taken a while to get things rolling since its initial announcement back in 2000 with Tsui Hark set to direct with a cast that namely included actress Zhang Ziyi and actor Leslie Cheung before his death three years later, in addition to other legal setbacks there after. Fortunately, the film's 3D produ…

Director Spike Lee's reprisal of Park Chan-Wook's cinematic revenge classic, Oldboy, didn't exactly hammer in some good box office ratings, but that hasn't dimmed the adamant love and appreiciation that fans share for the story that Park inspired in 2003. With that in mind, the folks over at Polish martial arts action and performance troupe, Stunt Forces created the destructive visuals emulated in the iconic hallway fight scene set to the tone of writing and directing duo Natalia Jakubowska and Luke Gronowski's newest music video featuring Lemko-Polish rock singer and musician Misia Ff performing Kartonem, which centers its entire theme of romance and heartbreak in the first verse: "Ja za tobą murem ty za mną kartonem"which basically translates to "My love is like a rock, yet yours is like cardboard."Stunt Forces has been around for about eight years now and their work, which you can view at their YouTube channel has become qualitatively bigger…

While writer, producer action choreographer and director R.L. Scott prepares next year's production of The Smuggler, the official website for his newest thriller, Call Me King is now live where action fans can learn more about the upcoming movie and sign up for further updates via mailing list. A production of Shadow Motion Pictures, Dark Energy Pictures and Fisherthought Productions, Call Me King is Scott's riveting new gritty action crime drama which centers its intricate story around two brothers who vow to utilize their rise to power in America's intricate criminal underworld to retake their home in Haiti without getting caught in the crossfire.

While MGM's longstanding successful superspy movie franchise featuring the iconic character James Bond continues, the purveyor of that very serial theatrical tale will get his story told in BBC America's brand new four-part miniseries starting on January 29, 2014 at 10pm EST in the form of Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond. Starring Need For Speed actor Dominic Cooper in the lead role as the sensational author and writer of the franchise, the series is written by John Brownlow and Don MacPherson, and directed by Mat Whitecross, and will also star Lara Pulver, Annabelle Wallis, Lesley Manville, Anna Chancellor and Samuel West. SERIES OUTLINE via BBC America: BBC AMERICA’s Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond takes a no holds barred look at Ian Fleming, the man behind the James Bond legend whose real life was as exciting, eventful and sexually charged as his famous creation.There’s no questioning the iconic status of the man they call 007, but before his thrilling adventures hit t…

If you are into mullets, DeLoreans, headbands, powergloves, skateboards, synthesizer music, viking babes with machine guns and towering giants, shoulderpads, visually cheesy and epic, over-the-top violence, then you are in for the wildest dinosaur ride of your life! As of today, there are only 29 days left for actor, writer and director David Sandberg's kickstarter for his brand new 30-minute comedic action thriller, Kung Fury, starring Sandberg as a rogue cop who goes on a desperate mission to put an end to Adolf Hitler's reign of kung fu terror, only to be thrown too far back in time and no choice but to find a way to complete his mission...with a little extra help.
Laser Unicorn, the geniuses behind this radical 1980's exploitation martial arts cyberpunk action cinema spoof on fantasy karate cop movies, have already completed most of the film, and are asking to the tune of $200,000 to satisfy the intended means of its post-production so that it can…

Eigapedia recently forwarded details of a scene from the upcoming release of director Keishi Otomo's next film, Rurouni Kenshin: The Great Kyoto Fire Arc, involving lead actor Takeru Satoh and co-star Ryunosuke Kamiki. The page detailed the on-location scene and setting, illustrating the assassination of historical Japanese statesman, Okubo Toshimichi, played Kazufumi Miyazawa (lead singer and songwriter of Japanese band, The Boom), leading up to a confrontation between lead character Himura Kenshin and Seta Sojiro, played by Satoh and Kamiki, respectively.

Based on the work of manga author Nobuhiro Watsuki, Rurouni Kenshin: The Great Kyoto Fire Arc is one of two sequels set to be theatrically released in the summer of the new year following the success of the first film in 2012, with both films - the other being Rurouni Kenshin: The End Of A Legend Arc - leading up to the final confrontation between our hero and the main villain, former government assassin Shishio Makoto, played …

Paramount Pictures recently aired a new TV-spot for the upcoming action suspense thriller, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. The film is the latest original reimagining of the classic character based on the titular series of famed novels by late author Tom Clancy, and premieres nationwide on January 17, 2014 in 2D and IMAX. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit stars Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Keira Knightley, Peter Andersson, David Paymer and Colm Feore. The film is written by David Koepp and is directed by Kenneth Branagh who also co-stars. SYNOPSIS: The story follows him from 9/11, through his tour of duty in Afghanistan, which scarred him forever, and into his early days in the Financial Intelligence Unit of the modern CIA where he becomes an analyst, under the guardianship of his handler, Harper (Kevin Costner). When Ryan believes he's uncovered a Russian plot to collapse the United States economy, he goes from being an analyst to becoming a spy and must fight to save his own life and those of co…

After receiving a poignant and heartfelt letter of appreciation from a Louisiana mother in the name of her fourteen-year old son, Malachi (a.k.a 9 Lives), an aspiring traceur, Tempest fan and survivor of numerous and harrowing life-threatening illnesses and injuries, Tempest members Jessie La Flair and Cory DeMeyers decided to pay a surprise Christmas visit...
The rest is history. Enjoy!

Filmmaker Trevor Addie has aired his latest fan film, Croft, on his official YouTube channel. I shared the trailer for this spectacular shortfilm a week ago under a different impression, and I have to say, this little gem took me by surprise as I watched it through to the end, which says a lot about the kind of vision Addie could bring if he chose to build from this particular concept into a serial or a feature format.

It's been a vivacious year for independent action cinema, and likely moreso than what I can keep up with, with so many teams out there in the world looking to create inspired and ambitious short films and projects to get their content circulating. And today, I have at least four new clips for what I am dubbing as this year's Christmas Day edition of my Around The Web series, with two of the clips attributed to the holiday season.
The first two come straight from Italy, by way of two teams - the first being D-Unit's new fan-driven shortfilm, Gift Revenge: A Star Wars Christmas Special featuring actors Loris Ripamonti and Mirco Cazzol. The piece is directed and edited by Cristoforo Cervino, with whom all three are currently working on a recently aired YouTube action webseries titled C9DES (Codes) - click the tags at the bottom of the article to learn more.
Check out Gift Revenge in the following embed, and special thanks to Ripamonti for sharing this little gem.

Universal Pictures has a new behind the scenes featurette now going viral for director Carl Rinsch's new film, 47 Ronin. The featurette, courtesy of MSN and now available on the film's official Facebook page, focuses heavily on the characters portrayed by actors Keanu Reeves and Hiroyuki Sanada, the relative to the action that moviegoers can expect to see, and more.
The film, which also stars Ko Shibasaki, Tadanobu Asano and Rinko Kikuchi, has since been released in Japan and newly released in several territories on Christmas Day, including in North America, with further worldwide releases pending. The reviews are already in, but if you plan on seeing it, feel free to share your own review of the film in the comment section below, or wIth our community on our official Facebook page.

On Wednesday, the official Facebook page for Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist shared two distinct images of actor Joey Ansah portraying the role of Akuma in the upcoming multi-platform episodic movie. Take a look:

Post by Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist.
If you have seen the 2010 shortfilm, Street Fighter: Legacy by now, you are already familiarized with an idea of how Ansah is approaching the iconic character here in these images, as well as others featuring actor Gaku Space, who plays Akuma's pre-transformational human character, Goki. But more importantly, for a theatrical feature length treatment, Ansah is promising something way more epic in nature than previously seen. And with the reports already in from those who have had an exclusive look, Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist is looking more and more ambitious each and everyday there is another photo.
Something is brewing folks! Be excited and stay tuned for more updates in 2014.

Director Ding Sheng premieres his latest film, Police Story 2013 in theaters across Asia today, and Sheng has put out two of his own edited trailers, the second of which you can now view below, along with a short promotional clip. The hype around this movie is pretty intense as we go into 2014 with the hopes of seeing its venerable lead actor and action director, Jackie Chan in future films sooner rather than later. And the fresher look he has given to the Police Story franchise with his latest role shows the level of creativity and artistry that Chan and his crew are capable of.
I can't wait to bring some positive overseas distribution news to you guys soon. That's my Christmas wish here.
If you live anywhere in Asia where the film is playing and you plan on seeing it, feel free to post your review in the comment section below, or on Facebook.

The Raid 2: Berandal is all the hype among martial arts action cinema fans. If you have been keeping up with the updates, you have already seen the teaser for the upcoming thriller that succeeds its 2011 predecessor and are looking forward to what the sequel has in store, courtesy from its producers over at Merantau Films and XYZ Films.

Let's hope all the theaters in North America are ready for the bloodthirsty, film hungry onslaught of martial arts action cinema fandom headed its way. March is gonna be a sick month for movies. And I'm sure writer and director Gareth Evans has no complaints.
Check out the press release courtesy of JoBlo and look out for the full trailer next week! Sony Pictures Classics and Stage 6 Films announced today that they will release THE RAID 2 in the United States on March 28. The film will have its World Premiere at the upcoming 2014 Sundance Film Festival.Written and directed by Gareth Evans, THE RAID 2 picks up right where the first film left off…

Ever wonder what superheroes really go through in real life? Well, actor and stuntman Yoshua Sudarso may have that answer for you in his latest lead role in Movies Vs. Real Life: Invincible Hero. The shortfilm is the latest from director and editor Casey Chan, and content creators Bart Kwan and Joe Jo over at Just Kidding Films, and to be honest, judging somewhat by the poster, I wouldn't blame you if this actually turned out to be something slightly more spectacular.

Alas, the comedy here is what's key, and Kwan, Jo and Chan have done a pretty fine job utilizing Sudarso for his talents. Sudarso has also partaken in several other projects this year, with indie filmmaker Vlad Rimburg, and the folks over at Robot Underdog to name a few, and you can expect to hear about these projects and more in the coming year.

I feel like I must have covered LBP Stunts Chicago a lot this year. Aside from what seems to have been a flourishing year for multifaceted stuntman and independent filmmaker Emmanuel Manzanres, it was only two days ago that I covered two of the team's members, Nate Hitpas and Keith Min in seperate pieces.

Now, just three days later, we are back with another collaborative piece from our director, which he wrapped up during his time in California, newly releasing his latest short, From Man To Man - Da Uomo a Uomo: Volume 2. Two years in the making, the shortfilm follows up Manzanares' own visionary concept illustrating kung fu action in a western setting featuring actors, Thousand Pounds' own Vonzell Carter and LBP's own Brendon Huor in parallel battles that ultimately lead to their final one-on-one confrontation, inspired by the aesthetic presented in Zhang Yimou's Hero with legends Jet Li and Donnie Yen.

The first trailer for writer and director Wong Jing's slick card tossing action comedy, The Man From Macau aired a few weeks ago, featuring actor Chow Yun-Fat reprising his classic role from the original God Of Gamblers film franchise. And this week, we finally get the same trailer with English subtitles and Cantonese audio (in addition to a new poster), and the Hong Kong title as it was previously noted throughout the year, From Vegas To Macau.

SYNOPSIS:Super Hacker “Show Hand” (Nicholas TSE) and Karl (Chapman TO) went to Las Vegas with their mentor, the retired swindler, Benz. They were there to visit Benz’s old buddy Hendrick (CHOW Yun Fat), a renowned master-level conman who left behind his troubled past to work as a Security Consultant for a c…

In a poignant announcement via Facebook, actor and producer Vin Diesel says Universal Pictures' Fast And Furious 7 will be theatrically released on April 10, 2015, ultimately pushing back the original release date for July 11, 2014. The news comes less than a month after the public learned the shocking news of fellow lead actor Paul Walker's death on the afternoon of November 30, 2013 during Thanksgiving break as the movie was still in the middle of an elaborate filming schedule. Post by Vin Diesel.
Developments surrounding the film's recovery since early December have since remained with the news that the studio would not be scrapping the film entirely, but find a way to edit and complete the film in a way that would best honor Walker's memory. Furthermore, it remains unconfirmed, but was also speculated that Walker's younger brother, stuntman Cody Walker, would take his late brother's place to help complete the remaining shots of the film, which would eviden…

The latest trailer has made its public debut for director and co-writer Brian A. Miller's upcoming action thriller, The Outsider. The film sets rising action hero, lead actor and co-writter Craig Fairbrass(Vikingdom) in a story of a British soldier who heads to Los Angeles on a personal mission to find his missing daughter. The film also kicks off a new slate of producing and starring credits for Fairbass who recently signed a multi-picture deal with Stealth Media Group's Adrenaline label, so it's pretty fair to say 2014 may be a fun year to forward to.

The trailer looks great with Fairbass alongside actors Jason Patric and James Caan, as it definitely looks promising for anyone who can always use a good film to enjoy, and as such, that day comes February 7, 2014 on VoD and in U.S. theaters.

After initially being censored from premiering at this year's 39th Annual Metro Manila Film Festival due to "excessive violence", it appears the circumstamces have changed, and now writer and director Chito S. Roňo is now getting the chance to debut his new biopictoral action crime drama, Boy Golden: Shoot-To-Kill. After previously starring in the 2011 award-winning thriller, Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story, actor ER Ejercito returns center stage as the lead in his second role as another historical crime figure, now centered around the life and times of 1960's notorious Filipino gangster, Arturo Porcuna, a.k.a. Boy Golden, who eventually met his demise at the hands of a group of assassins nearly fifty years ago this week. The film is also the latest of two notable titles centered on Porcuna's life-the other being Daniel Zialcita's Hindi sa Iyo ang Mundo, Baby Porcuna, which won a FAMAS award in 1978 for Best Director.

In addition to an original un-subbed teaser for Warner Bros. Japan's upcoming dual sequel releases of director Keishi Otomo's period epic samurai thriller Rurouni Kenshin film franchise, a new English-subbed version of the teaser has also gone viral and you can now check out that version below.

Produced by Shinzô Matsuhashi and Minami Ichikawa and executive produced by Maya Fukuzawa and Hiroyoshi Koiwai, the two sequels follow the success of the first 2012 film based on the original 1994 manga from author Nobuhiro Watsuki, with the storylines focused on Rurouni Kenshin: The Great Kyôto Fire Arc and Rurouni Kenshin: The End of a Legend Arc. Primed for a Summer 2014 release with dates pending, actor Takeru Satoh reprises his role as the iconic titular swordsman. Other cast members, returning and new, include Emi Takei, Yusuke Iseya, Munetaka Aoki, Yuu Aoi, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Yosuke Eguchi and Tatsuya Fujiwara, with Min Tanaka, Kazufumi Miyazawa, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, Kaito Oyagi, Maryj…

LBP Stunts Chicago's own Nate Hitpas has been turning out a pretty good slate of work with other fellow athletes outside the team, namely fellow martial arts actor and performer, Tony Vittorioso. And this week, the trend continued, as Hitpas and Vittorioso are closing out the year in their third stint as screenfighting opposites in the latest Karate-stylized fight practice shortfilm put together by LBP action choreographer and independent filmmaker Emmanuel Manzanares. The clip was filmed at Chicago's own Sharkey's Karate where they both originally met and trained for several years to this day. You can now check out the new fight practice clip in following embed where you may also subscribe to keep up with even more exciting content from this amazing troupe going into the new year.

January 17, 2014 is the day that sees Universal Pictures' latest pairing of actors Kevin Hart and 22 Jumpstreet co-star Ice Cube in the upcoming buddy action thriller, Ride Along. Directed by Tim Story, Ride Along features Hart and Cube in classic action comedy fashion in the story of a cop who reluctantly brings his sister's boyfriend on a ride along to test his mettle and and prove his worthiness to marry his sister. The film is already poised for a sequel ahead of the film's release, granted the film does well, of course. So it will be very enticing to see how well Hart and Cube work together when this one hits theaters. Ride Along also stars John Leguizamo, Bruce McGill, Bryan Callen and Laurence Fishburne. Check out the new trailer below, in addition to a new comedic music video featuring Hart singing "I Wish" in promotion of the film. SYNOPSIS: Kevin Hart and Ice Cube lead the lineup in Ride Along, the new film from the director and the producer of the blockbu…

It was back in February in the early existence of Film Combat Syndicate that I got to share a dialogue with Hollywood stuntman, action performer and martial artist, Keith Min. A prominent member of LBP Stunts Chicago, much of Min's energy in martial arts is spent observing the core, internal philosophies of his teachings as an instructor in Chicago, trained in a variety of disciplines ranging from Baguazhang and Tai Chi, to his preferred style, Xing Yi, which can now be viewed in its cinematic aesthetic in the new kung fu action shortfilm, Xing Yi Quan: Techniques And Applications. As I interpreted before in my informative and poignant discussion with Min back in February, Min's internal principles are what embody his vision to be able to implement his training with students in a simple but effective, and enjoyable manner to students of all types and sizes. Min expanded on the said "internal" benefits of his martial arts training, telling Film Combat Syndicate "…

A fifth and possible final trailer arrived for the upcoming release of action star Jackie Chan's Police Story 2013. Directed by Ding Sheng, the film promises to bring a new, darker aesthetic to the classic, more colorful titular film series that earned Chan his fame as a leading figure in Hong Kong action cinema back in the 1980's.
Considering new press as of late, it's very pleasing to hear that Chan still has the drive to direct quality action while he settles back from performing the usual bigger, signature feats of stuntwork that have garnered his career with as much praise as it has with the numerous injuries he has suffered-some even being life-threatening. Going into 2014, I look forwarded to seeing what else this amazing man is capable of in the weeks and months ahead. With Skiptrace and DragonBlade coming thereafter, and the possibility of starring in Karate Kid 2 and a fourth Armour Of God serving with a CZ12 sequel, clearly Chan isn't done impressing the he…

The new trailer and poster debuted this week for Open Road's upcoming April 11, 2014 release, Sabotage. The latest foray into action from director and co-writer David Ayer, Sabotage sees longtime Hollywood legend and The Expendables 3 co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger back in form as the leader of a DEA task force that become the target of a hidden enemy when millions of dollars found during a raid turn up missing.

Some of Ayer's most notable writing and directing credits collectively include The Fast And The Furious, Dark Blue, Training Day, Street Kings and his most recent success with End Of Watch with Jake Gyllenhaal. From there, you can pretty much guarantee that Ayer knows his stuff when it comes to intriguing cop stories involving corruption, delivered with explosive action to boot. And with him currently putting the World War 2 tank thriller, Fury together by next year, Sabotage should prove to be a fullfilling appetizer, if not a continuing entree of good old fashioned Sch…

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Right about now you're waiting news over any and all pertaining to Chad Stahelski's John Wick: Chapter Three which is still in production. This week, some of the best news to arise now sees word that Tiger Chen, Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman have all joined the production starring opposite Keanu Reeves who returns to star.
A few photos have gone viral in recent weeks seeing Chen merely hinting a presence on set but this latest update is official. The three are said to play opposite Keanu Reeves according news over at The Hollywood Reporter with Chen back on set following a starring role in the 2014 kung fu spiritual drama, Man Of Tai Chi.
It's an update worth noting as it hopefully sets up for a larger Hollywood screen presence for all three martial arts stars who've seen their rise in all of the last nine years collectively, including that of Chen whose friendship dates back to production on The Matrix trilogy. Ruhian and Rahman have been earning their claim to…

Well this is spiffy. Who Taffy Edwards is remains a mystery while said individual sits in the directors chair for upcoming independent crime pic, English Dogs. The film is set to arrive sometime this year and has Time Rush actors Byron Gibson (Only God Forgives) and martial arts sensation, action actor Ron Smoorenberg (Asura) leading the cast.
Plot details are nil as things stand, save for what we can extrapolate from the official trailer that premiered on Wednesday in addition to the film's doughty tagline: "There are 340 breeds of Dogs on the Planet but there can only be one Alpha". And that's about all we got to work with along with what the trailer offers in its ambitious British gangster tropes with Thailand as the backdrop, and watching Gibson throwdown along with shots of Smoorenberg in his element on top of chewing some scenery as a crimeboss, which is always welcome.
Check out the trailer below!

The last few years have seen the wheels turn quite a bit for director Jesse Haaja who made history in debuting Finland's first comic book superhero movie, Rendel. Nowadays he's developing other properties including Furrow, but that doesn't necessarily count out prospects for a sequel while genre specialist Raven Banner has anything to say for it.
Such is what includes Jeremy Kay's Screen International report this weekend with word that sales on a sequel to the Finnish superhero hit film have launched at the Cannes market. Producers at Black Lion Pictures and Frozen Flame Pictures are planning an early 2019 shoot on Rendel 2 which has Haaja returning to the helm to follow up the story of a family man previously resurrected from near-death with a brutal, masked alterego to seek revenge in the name of a city crying out for justice against a criminal organization and their pharmaceutical cohorts. “I can’t even describe how excited I am for this,” Haaja said of the ongoing s…

An exasperating wait, no less, for folks like myself who live in the U.S.. Still, it's nice to know that a Blu-Ray/Digital HD release of the new tournament martial arts thriller, Boyka: Undisputed, is well on its way with an August release, while it's even nicer to know that the film's star, actor and martial artist Scott Adkins wants to do a fifth.
He says so at around the 11:40 mark in his latest interview now online following his recent appearance at MCM Expo in London this week to discuss the role and the film as a whole - And not for nothing either as he continues to pound away at fans who enjoy his movies, but insist on stealing them online which will otherwise kill any chance of the film happening before 2030 if we're lucky (my words, not his).
Adkins also shares several new images from his latest, Accident Man, and some gems on Michael Cuesta's American Assassin, working with Tony Jaa on the recently-wrapped ensemble action thriller, Triple Threat, and muc…

With weeks away before cameras roll for upcoming martial arts mobster comedy, Made In Chinatown, we can report that the production will pair director Art Camacho with producer Robert Samuels who will also share the helm as co-director. The news comes roughly one week since Camacho's arrival to the director's chair after replacing another filmmaker who was already attached as the film underwent several months of development.
Camacho and Samuels will direct from a script by executive producer and author Mark V. Wiley that centers on Vinny, a hapless Chinatown resident who, with the help of his sifu and a select few good friends, works to assimilate himself into Italian mob life and gain top-tier status whilst in pursuit of the girl of his dreams. The independent New York City-set action comedy production lands stuntman, world-class wushu stylist and champion Gold medalist, actor Alfred Hsing (Ready Player One, Ip Man 3, Birth Of The Dragon) his first major acting role.
Hungry …

I myself couldn't really get past some of the fan-service that culminates all seemingly ado with the current Kickboxer franchise following the reboot in 2016. I suppose the best part is that Dmitri Logothetis has found a direction to take it in, onward from Vengeance through Redemption and now with the third, Kickboxer: Armageddon. And indeed, that's Alain Moussi in the footage donning a whole new Kurt Sloan we haven't seen before. Brand new look and all!
Other details are officially pending but Logothetis himself has mentioned the possible return of Mike Tyson, Ronadinho and Christopher Lambert in addition to George St. Pierre and other UFC and sports favorites...and Snoop Dogg for some reason? He's also presented a brand new teaser to help stir the fandom some, so check it out anf expect more Kickboxer news onward through 2019.

The May 17, 2019 release of John Wick: Chapter Three pretty much has everyone engaged losing their collective skulls at the moment. Production is already underway and confirming previous rumors of late is actress Halle Berry asserting her place in the cast.
Thus, she'll be joining in with a lot for the film's returning cast members, in addition to a wave of new names totaling actors Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick all reprising their roles, and with actresses Asia Kate Dillon and Anjelica Huston, and actors Mark Dacascos and Jason Mantzoukas to the cast.
The production has released cast cards with the roles all respective to the performers listed for whom Chad Stahelski will direct for Lionsgate for the production's remaining duration. Check it all out below and stay tuned, because I'm ready for more surprises! JOHN WICK 3: PARABELLUM Cast

Events at Cannes have been a turning point for some film fans highly keen on all things ado with action star, Jean-Claude Van Damme. Having made a splash this year with buzz for the launch of his Rodin Entertainment sales banner and announcing another slate of film prospects, his latest offering now brings us a pulsating look at Braqueurs helmer Julien Leclerq's new thriller, Lukas, otherwise hailed in our territories as The Bouncer.Lukas, a nightclub bouncer in his fifties who's taken punches, literally and figuratively, struggles to raise his 8 year old daughter. One day, Lukas loses control during an altercation with a client and ends up in jail, while his daughter gets placed under the care of social services. But things take an unexpected turn when Interpol recruits Lukas to bring down a Dutch ringleader operating from Belgium in exchange for his daughter's custody.
The first official teaser and accommodation poster have both arrived and very befitting with one anoth…

About five years ago I managed to interview stuntwoman, actress and producer Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez. It was through her I managed to build a rapport with several other veterans and up-and-comers in the industry whilst getting an angle going on covering the stunt field and it was a privelege to be able to exchange with her than as it still is now from time to time.

She's a talented singer as well - a fact that I was reminded of clean and clear when last year, I managed to screen one of her most recent short film appearances, Pimpkillah, courtesy of filmmaker and comic book creator Sarah Bitely. I think it quite surprised Michelle and that was sort of the feeling I got when I commented on one of her posts at the time.

Alas, the shortfilm has since gone public, marking a significant milestone for the budding filmmaker and comic book creator who moved from her hometown on the outskirts of DC/Baltimore in Maryland to Los Angeles, California in 2010. Her coming out party has assuredly …

Saban Films has kept its own market waiting long enough it seems and thus, the official trailer went live for Pasha Patriki's latest, Black Water, hailing a fifth pairing for action star duo Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. The film is written by Chad Law with a story that centers on a deep cover operative who awakens, imprisoned in the confines of a CIA black site on a submarine and forced in a race against the clock to search for answers amidst a daring escape.Action-movie icons Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren deliver a double shot of adrenaline-fueled excitement in this heartpounding undersea thriller. After a failed mission, deep-cover operative Wheeler (Van Damme) is imprisoned in a CIA black site on a submarine. The CIA agents will to go to any lengths to get information from Wheeler—but nothing can prepare them for the storm of violence that erupts when he joins forces with a fellow prisoner (Lundgren) as deadly as he is mysterious. Black Water opens throu…